Promoting and Modeling Digital Citizenship and Responsibility

"Promoting and modeling digital citizenship and responsibility" is the focus of National Educational Technology Standard #4 which boils down to this question: How do we as educators facilitate appropriate technology use? Currently, many school districts have the following to meet this standard such as: technology policies, staff, parents and students technology agreements, and software which blocks inappropriate Internet sites. However, is this enough to truly promote responsible digital citizenship? Or do we need more? As I searched the Internet for information on this topic, I found an interesting article which is part of Leading and Learning with Technology, Volume 32, Number 1, created by Mike S. Ribble, Gerald D. Bailey, and Tweed W. Ross titled simply, "Digital Citizenship." The article defines digital citizenship as "the norms of behavior with regard to technology use." Sounds simple enough, but what are the norms? Again the article lists nine areas of behavior of digital citizenship which include:

• "Etiquette - electronic standards of conduct and procedure,


• Communication - electronic exchange of information,


• Education - the process of teaching and learning about technology and the use of technology,


• Access - full electronic participation in society,


• Commerce - electronic buying and selling of goods,


• Responsibility - electronic responsibility for actions and deeds,


• Rights - those freedoms extended to everyone in a digital world,


• Safety - physical well-being in a digital technology world, and


• Security (self-protection) - electronic precautions to guarantee safety."

The article continues with examples and strategies for each norm for behavior. This made me think as an educator am I doing enough to facilitate my students becoming responsible digital citizens? This question prompted another search for digital citizenship lesson plans--ReadWriteThink to the rescue. This online lesson plan resource, which displays plans focused on meeting standards as well as teachers' needs, had several lessons for teaching different aspects of digital citizenship. (Check it out.)

As of now, this investigation of digital citizenship continues...

Distance Learning Experience - Webinars

Have you ever thought about participating in a seminar on the Internet? If the answer was yes then webinars are for you. There are many available for educators who are trying to "model digital-age work and learning" which is the National Educational Technology Standard #3. One great website which offers webinars and more is Discovery Education. If your district subscribes to the educational resource for educators, then you may attend one-hour webinars on a variety of topics dealing with the concepts covered as part of this site.

Many school districts subscribe to the Discovery Education streaming which offers a variety of video clips to use in the classroom for all subjects. However, this is just part of the wealth of resources that this website offers. Recently participating in a webinar titled "Introduction to Discovery Education Science," I learned that districts may also subscribe to an entire curriculum on science which includes interactive activities, lesson plans, video clips, assessments, and more. The webinar used teleconferencing and the computer to support the Discovery Education host in his interactive presentation on how to use the online science curriculum. The one-hour session just "wets your whistle," but the host happily gave his email address for support when the educator goes "solo." If your district doesn't have a subscription, a 30-day trial subscription is available.

Next webinar experience...wikispaces.